The South African Blind Youth Organisation (SABYO) led a march from the Arts Museum to Pretoria at the Union Buildings to submit a memorandum of grievances and demands on 8 June 2018.
The march involved visually impaired people, both blind and partially-blind people, who alleged that their rights have been neglected.
The memorandum of demands included that blind people be prioritized by the government in regards to education, housing and transportation.
While addressing the crowd, SABYO spokesperson, Calvin Tshehla said “As the SABYO our commitment is to do everything possible to make promises contained in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa a reality and overcome seclusion, poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.”
Supporter and blind man, Simon Malatjie said they came here hoping there is going to be changes with regards to finding work, because they tried speaking to organisation and tried applying for jobs, but they don’t get jobs.
Mr Malatjie said he has not been working for eleven years and after all they have tried nothing has come out of it and that is why came to the Union Buildings. “Maybe that is the only way we will be heard,” he said.
The Economic Freedom Fighters also joined the march to support SABYO. A member of the party that addressed the crowd quoted Mahatma Ghandi, he said “judge society by how they treat those who are vulnerable”.
He said according to statistics, 97 per cent of all blind and partially-sighted people in South Africa are unemployed.
“As the EFF we came here to support you, as blind people you also have the skills and the EFF wants to ensure that young children who are visually impairment get the necessary attention at an early age.” He said.
Tebogo Themba from the SABYO GP (Gauteng) said they don’t get the necessary support from the government and that once they understand that they are totally blind they don’t hire them because they think they are expensive and they will cost the company. He demands that the government either subsides or come with an alternate so that blind people can participate in the economy.
